Dietary treatment of patients with mild to moderate hypertension in a general practice: a pilot intervention study (1). The first three months

Thirty-five patients with mild to moderate hypertension were randomised into a three months' dietary advised and a three months' control group. The diet was of a composition currently considered to be appropriate, and was monitored by a dietitian. Statistically significant decreases in diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, sodium excretion, and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol occurred in the intervention group, although differences in change between the intervention and the control group were, except for LDL-cholesterol, not statistically significant. Thus, it did not become clear whether and to what extent change in diet was responsible for the lowering of the blood pressure in the intervention group.